So They Healed
by Kathryn Claire O'Connor
Summary: #5 in the Junior Initiative series! The JID kids move into Avengers' Tower with their parents, and at first they think it's just another curve-ball that's being thrown at them... but in a dark hour, the Avengers may prove to be just what the teens need in order to begin moving on from the pain of their lives in Vermilion. *fourteen chapters*
1. Chapter 1

**And we're off on the fifth installment of the Junior Initiative series! I'm so sorry that this story took so long to get to you guys, but it is fourteen chapters long, so maybe that'll make up for the wait. The first section is just a part of the last story, so that you know where everybody's at, then we get into this story.**

* * *

_"__Okay, guys," Pepper said as the teenagers piled into Avengers Tower behind her and the Avengers late that night. "I know that New York City is a big change from Vermillion, that you're used to your independence, and that you probably don't trust any of us adults, but you will find that there are perks to living here. For example, we have more than enough bedrooms for you each to have your own. You can go ahead and pick whatever room you want; if someone is already there, you'll know by the mess they leave."_

_"__You guys would like the seventh floor of the Avenger's part of this place, I bet," Tony volunteered as he walked up to the group. "There are only eight suites, but they're all empty; you guys would essentially have your own floor."_

_That's all the kids needed to hear before they were loading themselves onto the elevator with the few things that they had packed from the Junior Initiative Division and disappearing._

_"__Meeting in the entertainment room," Tony ordered flatly as the rest of his team trickled into the tower around him. "Now."_

* * *

"What do you want to bet their talking about us down there?" Hazel asked flatly as the JID kids hauled their suitcases off of the elevator and onto the seventh floor of Avengers Tower.

"I'm sure they are," Hayne answered her tiredly.

Andy replied, "I guess it's time for us to talk about them then."

"What?" Eif asked him.

"I thought we did that earlier before we met them," Ryan said.

"Yeah," Andy agreed. "But that was to get intel; we need to set up a long-term plan now."

"Right now?" Scarlet complained. "Can't we do it in the morning – after we get some sleep? We went on our first mission; this has been the longest day ever."

Andy insisted, "Then I'm sure you guys won't mind if we make it a few minutes longer."

Ryan muttered something unintelligible under his breath before he backed Andy up, ordering, "Find a bedroom to drop your stuff in and then we'll meet in whichever room Andy chooses."

A couple minutes later, the eight teenagers were all sprawled across Andy's new bedroom in Avengers Tower, which was much bigger than the room he and Ryan had shared at JID. Andy sat cross-legged in front of the headboard and Hazel folded herself up beside him, laying her head tiredly over on his shoulder. Blaine stood with his ankles crossed, leaning disinterestedly against a wall with his arms crossed over his chest. When Eif settled onto the floor beside Blaine, Ryan sat down a couple of feet away from her. Dakota crawled onto the middle of the bed, and Hayne settled on the bed against the footboard. Scarlet sighed dramatically and flopped onto her back with her head in Hayne's lap and her legs dangling off of the edge of the bed.

"What do we need to talk about now?" the auburn-haired girl asked.

"How do we handle living here?" Andy asked. "What do we want to do in the foreseeable future? Do we trust them or not?"

"Can I suggest something insane?" Hazel asked drily. "What about just being ourselves?"

"Green guys, suits, and everything?" Hayne asked. "That doesn't sound like a plan."

"Why not?" Eif asked. "Don't the Avengers already have those things on their own team?"

"I'm not saying that we need to tell them everything right this instant, Andy;" Hazel said, intertwining her fingers with her boyfriend's. "I'm asking why be so guarded? Why not just let things come out as they will? Let the chips fall where they may, and see what happens. We've learned to role with Fury's punches, why not apply that here and just go with it?"

Andy cast a glance around the room, registering seven nods of agreement before he replied carefully, "Alright then. Let's just see what happens."

* * *

No one really slept the night that they brought the JID kids from Vermillion, South Dakota to Avengers Tower, yet Pepper was up at the crack of dawn, as always. Although she assumed the children were all still asleep, she found herself wandering to the previously unused seventh floor of the Avengers' quarters, which the eight teens appeared to have every intention of taking over. Stepping off of the elevator, she was surprised to hear someone clanking around in the kitchen. She was even more surprised when she walked in and saw it was Dakota, hers and Tony's fourteen year old daughter that they had only been reunited with the day before after having given her up to Fury and Agent Hill at a month old.

"Good morning," she offered softly to the girl whose back was turned tensely to her.

The teen's stiffness was the only indication that she recognized Pepper's presence until Dakota asked, "What are you doing up here?"

"I thought I'd just come up and see how you were settling in," Pepper answered lightly, trying to ease the awkward tension.

Dakota kept on mixing the bowl of batter that she had in her hands and stayed with her back to her mother as she asked, "Me personally or the others too?"

"All of us adults are concerned about all of you," Pepper answered, taking a step farther into the room.

"We're all very adept at taking care of ourselves, thanks," Dakota said coldly.

"I know," Pepper replied softly. "But you shouldn't have to be. That's what your parents are for."

"Oh is it?" Dakota laughed drily. "And you would know that how exactly?"

"Dakota, please, listen!" Pepper begged, stepping up and turning her daughter around by the shoulders, forcing blue eyes to meet blue eyes. "As much as Fury hurt you kids, that's how badly he fooled us adults. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am – that we didn't see through him, or that we let you go at all – and I will do everything in my power to make it up to you."

"You can't," Dakota said bluntly. "There's nothing you can do. I was almost _killed _because of Fury! There is absolutely no undoing anything or the nightmares that come with it all."

"Sweetheart, I am so, so sorry for everything that you and your friends have been through…"

"Me too," Dakota said softly, once again turning her back to Pepper as her face began to redden.

And suddenly the teenager had begun to sob, and it caught both mother and daughter so off guard that not only did Pepper wrap the girl in her arms, but Dakota went willingly, clinging to the woman who had given birth to her for all that she was worth while Pepper held on to her just as tightly. Wave after wave of tears hit her shaking child, and Pepper felt helpless, knowing that she could do nothing more than hold her through the storm.

When at last Dakota's tears were reduced to watery sniffles, Pepper brushed the girl's hair back out of her eyes and kissed her on the top of her head, asking ever so gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Dakota shook her head, but answered softly anyway, "I was so afraid I was going to die that day that Maria took me into the mountains… and then when we got back to JID, Andy dragged them right into training for a mission, and I kept myself busy too, just so that I didn't have to think about what had happened. Then there was them going on the actual mission, and you guys showing up, and I've just kept busy for the past six months so that I don't have to think about everything, and…"

"And you just needed the purge," Pepper supplied, keeping her hands on her daughter's shoulders even as the teenager stepped back.

Dakota shrugged, embarrassed at her outburst. "I guess."

"That's fine, sweetheart, normal even." Pepper's voice dropped to a heartfelt whisper meant just for her child when she added, "That's what parents are here for."

* * *

**Reviews are my fuel and make my day if you feel like dropping me one! Thanks so much!:)**


	2. Chapter 2

Apparently Pepper wasn't the only one who was inclined to come up and check on the teenagers that morning, because Natasha came into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"Good morning," Pepper greeted the assassin.

Natasha barely twitched her lips in response.

Pepper bit her lip before asking quietly, "Is Barton that upset?"

"Nah," Natasha said with a shrug of her shoulders, not sure whether or not she was lying – and that's what had her at least halfway in a mood.

Her husband really hadn't said much since they had all started home from South Dakota the evening before, but at least he didn't appear to be ready to kill her.

"I was just thinking about you," Pepper said, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah?" Natasha asked, glancing at Pepper's daughter. What she could see of the girl's expression suddenly looked a little pained, and Natasha couldn't help but touch elbows lightly with the fourteen year old and ask, "How are you guys doing?"

"Fine," Dakota answered quickly, keeping her gaze elsewhere as she turned to start putting batter in a waffle maker.

Pepper and Natasha locked eyes over the tiny girl's head before Pepper told Dakota softly, "You can talk to her, you know; she'd have a way better idea of what you're going through than I would."

"Yeah," Natasha said cordially, leaning her elbows against the counter so that she was on Dakota's level, seconding, "I'm willing to help any of you guys any way I can. Why, what's up?"

"Bad day yesterday," Dakota hedged.

"I thought that any day where everyone came back from a mission unscathed was a good day?"

"Blaine _did not _come back unscathed – at least not mentally."

Natasha nodded slowly at that, showing that she had thought maybe that was the case, but then forged ahead with the matter at hand, guessing, "But that's not what's bothering you, is it?"

"I'm thinking a lot of things right now," Dakota confessed.

"Well, tell me one of them."

Dakota considered this for a second before she said slowly, "Am I part of the problem… or could I help him? Should I try? Sometimes the memory's too close to the surface and I'm afraid of him, and I think he knows it, but I just want to help. Or does my being near him just make it worse?"

"Who, Blaine?" Nat asked.

Dakota nodded mutely, and Natasha opened her mouth to form some sort of an answer when she heard the elevator doors open, letting someone else onto the seventh floor.

"Tasha?" Clint called out.

"We're in the kitchen," Natasha answered before saying to Dakota, "Why don't you ask an expert?"

"Expert at what?" Clint asked, appearing in the kitchen doorway.

"When someone you know tries to kill you, is it a good or a bad thing to try and help them through the emotional backlash?" Natasha asked him, gesturing minutely towards Dakota.

Clint stopped where he was, shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans as he mulled that over. "Well, I assume we're talking about you and Blaine, here, right?" he asked Dakota.

The girl was flustered now, but she nodded.

"Let's get one thing straight then," Clint said. "His problem right now is not what happened six months ago; it's what happened yesterday. He killed someone, and your first kill is always h*** to get over. This isn't your fault at all. As a matter of fact, I'd even bet that you're a great help to him, aren't you?"

Dakota flushed at the mild implication, stammering out, "I try."

"Good," Clint said approvingly.

"But I don't always do very well," Dakota confessed. She looked at Clint through her eyelashes, seeming almost afraid to voice the words as she said, "Sometimes I'm still afraid of him because of… you know… and I think he knows it."

Clint paused at that when Dakota struck upon something that Clint and Natasha had lived through themselves, and she saw his chest move slowly up and back down as he took a deep breath before answering, "Yeah, he probably does know it… but maybe those are the days when he wants to help you through what you've got on _your _mind."

"And what if we're both having a bad day?"

Clint looked into Natasha's eyes as he answered, the words ringing so true for the life that they had lived together as partners – in S.H.I.E.L.D. and later in marriage. "Then you just have to be broken together."

He smiled slightly at his wife, and Natasha felt relief rise up from the pit of her stomach when she realized that he really wasn't acting that upset with her at all. Maybe he actually wasn't upset. He understood that sometimes she didn't think straight about situations, especially big ones like the fact that they had children together. Maybe they would be okay.

"Did I say that right?" he asked her, stepping up to the counter and turning her so that he could give her a chaste good morning kiss.

She searched his eyes for a second; elated when she realized that by the look in his eyes, they were not only going to be okay again, but they were already okay again. Somehow, for some reason, he had already forgiven her for not telling him about Blaine and Scarlet.

"Just right," she agreed, her eyes betraying the fact that there was a double meaning behind her words.

He smiled then – still a small smile, but a real one nonetheless – and released his hold on her, turning to ask Dakota, "What are you making, kid?"

"Waffles," Dakota answered, opening the waffle maker and starting another round of the food.

Pepper asked curiously, "Are you a good cook?"

"Good enough, I guess. Considering who I live with, I practically have to be," Dakota answered with a roll of her eyes, although her expression was filled with affection for the kids that she had grown up with.

"Good enough for the Avengers and I to have a group breakfast up here with you kids?" Pepper asked, although she had to know she was pushing her luck.

Dakota bit her lip, eventually answering, "Okay, but if Andy tries to kill me, I say that Clint and Natasha both saw you twisting my arm about it."

Pepper stifled a sigh, answering, "I think I can deal with that."


	3. Chapter 3

_Just be ourselves,_ Scarlet repeated to herself as she woke up that morning and followed the noise to find the kitchen filled with Avengers.

"What's going on?" Hayne whispered in her ear while the other five JID kids stopped behind them, all of them having just gotten up out of bed.

"Breakfast, it looks like," answered Scarlet. "Waffles, I think."

"I smell bacon," Hazel added.

"Well, let's go get some," Scarlet suggested.

Still clad in her pajamas – a tank top and sleep pants – she habitually did a cartwheel and turned to wink at Ryan. After six months of this, the boy now claimed that his day didn't feel like it had started until she had done her little show for him. Captain America's son didn't blush at it anymore, but apparently someone was impressed because all of a sudden somebody was clapping behind her.

"Nice," Mrs. Stark said cheerfully when the teens' gazes turned to her. "Breakfast is all lined up on the counter if you want it." For some reason, she looked worriedly at Andy as she said, "I hope you don't mind us crashing your meal like this."

"Not at all," Andy said, his expression impassive.

Hazel jabbed him in the ribs as the seven of them made their way up to the counter, commanding, "Be nice. We said we'd be ourselves, remember?"

"You really don't want that right now," Andy answered tersely under his breath. "Because 'myself' is feeling a little moody at the moment."

Scarlet rolled her eyes as she grabbed a plate, commenting, "I swear you get PMS worse than I do."

The boys snorted, Hazel chuckled outright, and Eif just looked a little confused. Andy simply glared at Scarlet and snatched up a plate with a couple of waffles on it, drowning them in syrup before he went and plopped down in a seat next to his sister. Hazel rolled her eyes, grabbed a plate, and sat down in the other chair beside Andy at the bar.

"What are these 'waffles'?" Eif asked, poking at a plate of the food with a fork.

"Breakfast food," Ryan answered easily. "It's like bread except for denser. And sometimes we put butter and syrup or other condiments on them so they're not as dry."

"I promise they're safe to eat, Demi," Dakota called out. "I made them myself."

Eif shrugged and drizzled syrup over the food on her plate, almost tripping over Captain America when she turned to find a place to sit.

The super-soldier apologized and smiled when Dakota pointed out, "I'm pretty sure Thor's already eaten three plates."

"Four, actually," Captain Rogers corrected under his breath.

Scarlet and Eif both smiled, but both girls could practically feel the air around Ryan tensing up behind them.

"Hey," Mr. Stark broke in, changing the subject by saying, "I've got a question for all of you kids."

Ryan asked cordially enough, "What's that?"

Stark leaned back against the counter inquiring curiously, "Are any of you guys dating anybody?"

"Nope," Hayne lied smoothly, heading with his breakfast away from the counter.

Blaine's eyes snapped up to Scarlet's face as a moment of pain slashed across her features. She understood why Hayne would lie about it; he felt wary enough of dating her thanks to the other guy, and he didn't need the Avengers reinforcing the idea that he was wrong too.

"Me neither," Ryan said quickly.

Eif followed him after saying, "My husband just died yesterday."

"What about you, red?" Stark asked, nudging her with his foot.

"No," she replied shortly before settling at a spot beside her brother, ignoring Hayne as he tried to inconspicuously catch her eye.

"You two got anybody?" Stark asked, turning to face the eight kids crowded on the other side of the counter and gesturing at Andy and Dakota.

"Maybe…" Andy answered slowly, shooting his father a teasing smile.

Stark grinned. "What's her name?"

Blaine snorted as Ryan suggested, "I wouldn't answer that if I were you."

Stark cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowing quizzically on his son. "You've never gotten out of JID except for yesterday, right? So that means it's gotta be one of your own four. It's not Dakota, and the widow hasn't been around long enough… so that leaves Scarlet and Hazel, right?"

"It's Hazel," Natasha broke in.

"How do you know that?" Dr. Banner asked.

Natasha sighed, eyeing Scarlet as she answered, "Because of the look on 'Red's' face when Hayne said he wasn't dating anyone. Clint and I went through this phase when we first started dating where we didn't tell anyone that we were together… and when he or I would deny our relationship, the other one of us got that same look on their face. Only for a second, but it was there and you could catch it if you were paying attention."

Scarlet turned her glare on her mother full force, but at the same time, Blaine slid a warning hand onto her knee. Hayne buried his face in his hands at the other end of the counter.

"Well, okay then," Stark said. "We've got Scarlet and Hayne, and that means Andy and Hazel."

"And Dakota and Blaine," Mrs. Stark added.

Blaine turned with wide eyes to look at Dakota where she sat on his other side.

"You're sure?" Mr. Stark asked his wife.

"Yeah…"

"How?" Blaine asked, trying and failing to keep the incredulity out of his tone.

"You don't want to know the answer to that," Clint broke in.

"Well, if I'm her boyfriend I think I deserve to know why she told them about it!"

"And what if you're her murderer?" Natasha asked evenly.

"But I'm not," Blaine answered.

The expression of Scarlet's brother was tight, but at least he was talking – holding an actual conversation, even. After the way he had been the acting the day before, she had been well and truly concerned for him. But he seemed better now, and if he was, then so was she. The JID kids' only problem was that this was just the beginning of their stay with the Avengers.


	4. Chapter 4

"She had a bad night," Clint said, almost apologetically, referring to Dakota. "Nightmares."

"Hey," Blaine snorted dryly. "Me too! Mine was about killing a man. What about yours?" he asked Dakota.

The youngest teenager flushed painfully, looking nervously away from her boyfriend.

Eif felt her jaw clench, and she slammed her plate down on the counter, glaring fiercely at Blaine as she ordered loudly, "Stop it!" She took a deep breath, forcing down her disquiet before she moved so that she was standing at Blaine's side and said softly, "Blaine, I will tell you this as many times as you need to hear it: I promise that you did a good thing yesterday when you killed that monster." She smiled carefully, murmuring, "You saved me."

"You avenged some of the Avengers too, just like Maria said," Andy added.

"Like who?" Blaine asked.

Andy worried at his lip as he glanced at the Avengers and then Eif. Both of them knew that as soon as he mentioned any names the Avengers would begin putting the story of her life together, and that wasn't really a thought that she relished.

Instead, Eif leaned closer to Blaine and whispered in his ear so that only he could hear, "Your parents."

"How them?"

"Please don't make us say," she requested.

"Why not?"

"Because it's something that every one of the Avengers has had to try very hard to get over in the past years." Andy spoke again. "They've finally moved past it all, and I don't think it's fair to dredge it up again."

Ryan was the next one to speak up, suggesting, "Why don't you just wait a little while and – like the eight of us talked about last night – let things come out – or not come out – all on their own."

Andy got a strange, distanced look on his face then before he turned to Eif and said slowly, "Although… I think maybe you ought to tell Barton who we're talking about."

"Why?" Eif and Agent Barton asked at the same time with the same surprise in their voices.

Andy just cocked his head to the side and stared at her with the words _think a little here_ practically written across his forehead. She realized what his thought process was then, and shook her head.

She looked at the ground, coloring much as Dakota had with her pain as she said, "What happened to me at his hand is much different than what you reference with Agent Barton."

"You're right, I'm sure;" Andy answered. "I suspect what happened to you is much more closely related to things that Agent Romanoff has had happen to her… at least emotionally and mentally… but he would know how to handle that too."

"You could always talk to your father," Ryan suggested.

"No!" Eif answered, thoroughly horrified at the idea.

"Why not?"

"Because… Because my father cares about him."

Andy's eyebrows rose as he asked, "Thor still cares about this idiot – even after?"

"Yes," Eif answered tightly. "At least from what I understand. And he's not an idiot; he's actually very brilliant." She shrugged. "Or at least he was."

"Then can you at least promise me that you'll talk to… someone?" Ryan pled. "Anyone here. Just talk about it. Get it out of your system." He glanced at Blaine, saying, "It wouldn't hurt you to vent either."

"I have my bow and arrows for that; thanks," Blaine replied.

Ryan sighed, turning to look at Eif again until she muttered, "As you wish," not caring the least bit who saw that her fingers were crossed behind her back.

* * *

"Hey, Demi."

Eif nearly jumped out of her skin, looking wildly up towards the air vent from which the voice that had called to her had come. Her eyes widened when the grate was swung open and Clint Barton slid agilely from the vent.

"Whatchya doing?" he asked.

"Just exploring the tower a bit, I suppose."

"Didn't mean to scare you," he said, matching her one step for her two as she started walking again.

"I'm alright, Agent Barton."

His tone changed to something far less carefree than it had been a moment ago when he asked quietly, glancing over at her, "Are you?"

"Yes," she answered knowing what he was getting at.

He nodded, letting it slide for the moment as he asked easily, "Where are you headed?"

"Nowhere in particular."

"You wanna see my favorite place in the tower?" he asked, turning to her.

"Alright," she agreed, trying not to let her cautiousness show.

They were silent as he guided her into an elevator, neither speaking until they reached the roof of the tower.

The odd duo emerged into the bright sunlight glistening off of the equipment that comprised a setup for some very impressive archery practice.

Agent Barton grabbed a bow and arrow at random and expertly shot a bull's-eye into the nearest target before he stated the obvious, "This is where I practice." Eif looked around from where she stood; staying silent until he asked her, "Have you ever shot a bow and arrow?"

She bit her lip, considering her answer and fighting off the memories – mostly good ones for once – until she admitted, "My husband conjured a toy bow and arrow for me and taught me how to use it."

He turned to look at her, obviously surprised as his weapon dropped to his side. "Really? How long ago was that?"

"I was nine the last time I used the one he gave me."

"What happened to it?"

"He took it away."

"Wait a second," Agent Barton paused as he mulled this over before he asked, "You were married by the time you were nine?"

"No," Eif answered. "I was ten when we were married. I had lived with him from infancy."

Agent Barton nodded slowly, and Eif could see that he was putting the pieces of the horrible truth together in his head. He grabbed a black bow and offered it to her.

"You wanna give it another swing?"

She hesitated before accepting the bow that he offered her and then sliding a quiver onto her back. She watched him carefully as he shot another arrow and then imitated him, getting her arrow just to the outside of the bull's-eye when she shot it.

"Any idea why your husband chose to give you a bow and arrow?" He asked.

She half laughed against the back of her throat, answering, "In a world like Asgard, it would be noticed should the queen be left without a means of defending herself, so he made me a weapon. Unlike the ones you have here, the bow he produced for me was next to useless, so I was left defenseless – just like he wanted."

"Wouldn't a goddess like Thor's daughter have some sort of built-in defense or whatever?"

"You mean like Thor's thunderstorms? Yes, but it just so happens that those powers were more useless against my husband than my bow and arrows."

Eif shrugged it off, letting loose of another arrow almost smiling when it buried itself in the center of the bull's-eye.


	5. Chapter 5

Agent Barton paused again before he pointed out, "For someone who hasn't shot in seven years, you're very good."

"I didn't say I hadn't shot in seven years; I said my husband took away my weapon seven years ago. I had people in my corner and they made sure I kept practicing."

"Who?"

"Thor's four most trusted warriors."

"The Warriors Three and Sif."

Eif nodded. "They were really the ones who raised me."

"I thought you said you lived with your husband," he said, beginning to fire at the targets again.

"I lived in a palace with many people, all five of those included."

"Of course – the princess."

"Queen, actually."

"And how's that work? I thought your dad disowned the crown or something."

"He did – in favor of the Midgardians and the Avengers – but the people of Asgard were left unhappy with the rule of the next in line, and so, when I was sent to Asgard, I was declared by the people to be the rightful heir. Years down the road, once I was getting old enough to begin to train for taking over the throne, my husband took me as his wife so as to…" _Not lose his throne._ "Gain undisputed power of Asgard."

Agent Barton lowered his weapon and eyed her shrewdly. She very nearly begged him then and there not to call her out on what they both knew he had figured out.

"You know," he said, swallowing and lowering himself to sit on a bench. "I don't just come up here to practice. I come up here to get away – get away from the noise of the others, from the busyness…" he tapped his bow, looking out at the sky that they were so very close to as he added softly, "From myself, the nightmares… and what's happened in the past. Andy said earlier this morning that it had taken us awhile to get over things, and I presume he was talking about Loki. It is better now, but, really, it never does go away, at least not for me." He sighed and looked at her as he said, "You don't really get over it, do you?" Another pregnant pause passed before he said, "But I have found that there's a way to get _past _it. Tony's got his lab, Banner has his charity projects, Steve's got his sketchpad, Thor's got," Agent Barton almost smiled and shook his head. "Whatever it is that Thor does, and Natasha and I have each other. What do you have?"

"My friends," Eif finally answered, joining him on the bench. "But they're not here."

"Well, I guess that means you've got us now."

Eif nearly snorted. "And how does that help me? Nobody's going to understand. You Avengers have bombs and dead bodies floating around in your dream; I just have one man." She paused before confessing, "He wasn't always horrid, you know – my husband. We were never close, really, but when I was young we almost had what would constitute a normal relationship between…" And here was the confirmation of who they were talking about. "…An uncle and niece… and then I turned nine. There had always been moments in time where he would come home angry about losing a battle or some small rebellion that was going on; he would be full of mead and he would beat his frustrations out on me. But my ninth year he started doing those things while he was entirely sober. Showing his true colors I guess, but his past kindnesses only made it all the worse. He made me a prisoner in my own home and would lock me in my room for weeks on end unless he came in to… beat me. He gave me reason to fear him – to fear for my life – so that I wouldn't resist him the next year when he made me his wife."

"And what happened then?"

She shook her head darkly, answering tonelessly, "We were married, I was his wife, he was abusive in every sense of the word, and the next six years are just a blur of pain."

Agent Barton nodded at the skyline with thoughtful eyes, accepting her story without comment.

A moment passed in which they just stared off into the bright sky until he said, "You know, I don't usually talk much, but if you ever need to talk to someone about him and Asgard and your life there, then I'll talk or I'll just listen, whichever you need."

The corners of Eif's mouth tipped up as she murmured, "Thank you, Agent Barton."

He nodded again and offered a half smile as he stood. He released another arrow and she mimicked him. They went back to their target practice in companionable silence with a new understanding strung between them and the conversation was over.

* * *

"You guys do this every week?" Dakota was asking Mrs. Stark when Eif came into the entertainment room later that evening.

"Movie night?" Mrs. Stark verified. "Yeah. It's a good way to actually _relax _as a team, since the job doesn't allow for much relaxation."

Dakota nodded in understanding as Eif sat down on a pillow on the floor by the couch, leaving the actual seats for the adults who were piling in around them. Agent Romanodd sat down on one end of the couch, Agent Barton slid in beside her by launching himself over the back of the couch, and Thor settled down on Eif's other side. Ryan folded himself down beside her, allowing her to feel a little less guilty for scooting away from Thor and closer to Agent Barton.

"Isn't it my night to pick the movie?" Agent Barton asked.

"Yeah," Dr. Banner answered. "What do you have in mind?"

"I have a theory," Agent Barton said, shoving off the couch and onto his feet as he headed for the movie rack. "And I think I know a movie that might be able to give me some clues."

"What movie?" Tony asked.

"This one – Frozen."

"We've seen that one before," Tony protested. "Why again?"

"Like I told you, I've been thinking about a conversation I had earlier today, and I had a thought from it."


	6. Chapter 6

Though Thor wasn't sure why his daughter stiffened at his feet the moment the movie character Elsa first shot snow out of her hand, he instantly caught her reaction. Judging by the slight shift of Agent Barton's expression, so did the other man. Why? And why this particular film? What did Barton know about his child that Thor did not?

The eyes of the god of thunder contained this question as he turned to look at Agent Barton. The other man, however, simply shook his head at Thor and nodded back towards the movie, indicating that the god should leave any questions he had until later.

Thor wasn't content with this, though, so he gently nudging the blonde teen's knee with his foot, wordlessly meeting her blue orbs with eyes full of concern. She bit her lip and looked away from him, just as silent as Agent Barton, but obviously troubled about something nonetheless. Thor was going to have a word with the SHIELD agent about this later, and if the other man was responsible for his daughter's upset, more than words were going to be exchanged.

He was deeply floored when seconds later, at the part in the movie where Anna was hit in the forehead by Elsa's wintery magic, Demi suddenly sprung up and – of all the things in the Nine Realms – crawled into his lap. Despite his shock, as if out of instinct, his hands instantly wrapped around her.

After taking a second to overcome his surprise and adjust to the fact that, sixteen or no, his daughter now had her face buried in his chest and her fists curled into his shirt, he said quietly near her ear so as not to disturb the others, "It's only a movie. As Tony has explained to me, it's a moving pictures, like the illustrations in books in motion. It's not real, only all imaginary and technological like some of the other things in this house."

She shook her head, mumbling into his shirt something that might have been, "Real for me."

"What do you mean?" Thor asked. "I do not understand."

She shook her head again and turned her face slowly back around to watch the movie. She was still shaking when she suddenly blushed – seeming to realize what she'd done – and went to move back onto the floor. Thor was enjoying his daughter's nearness and wasn't willing to let her go yet, though, and his arms tightened around her waist. She stiffened; her breathing momentarily more ragged, and caught the eye of the teenager who had been watching the father-daughter scene with concern, Ryan Rogers. The boy placed a calming hand on her knee, mouthing what Thor sort of thought was "you're safe with him," and Demi relaxed a bit, apparently deciding to take Ryan's word for it and stay where she was. Thor grinned at what he chose to see as a minor triumph and settled back to watch the movie with the others.

When the credits rolled, Demi was still sitting on his lap, now leaning back against his broad shoulder, comfortable although still appearing to be troubled or deeply in thought at best.

And then Agent Barton startled her out of whatever her thoughts were when he asked her, "What bothered you so much there at the beginning of the movie?"

Demi paused, that same wary pain filling her eyes as had been there earlier when she answered, "I thought the girl, Anna, had been given frostbite by her sister."

"Why? What's the deal with frostbite?" Barton asked.

"My husband," she answered shortly.

Barton asked in confusion, "What about him?"

"He is – was – a frost giant. That means that he can – could – conjure and control ice. When he was in his frost giant form, he could and would give anyone frostbite simply by touching them if he was in the mood. I was on the receiving end of that many times, and it hurts. I'm sorry I overreacted to your moving pictures, though."

"It's fine;" Agent Barton answered easily. "Frost giant's a new concept on me, though. I knew he was a lot of things, but I'd never heard of that."

"He didn't like the frost giant part of himself," Demi answered, her words coming slowly as she chose them with extreme care for some reason. "Even with all of his flaws, he saw the Jotun as a worse sort of monster than his Asgardian side was."

Thor's breathing became very shallow then as he recognized the character traits that his daughter had just listed off. They matched his brother perfectly, and there was no one else in all of Asgard who fit that description. Demi noticed the sudden tension in his body and wriggled desperately, managing to find her way out of his arms before Ryan Rogers stood to his feet and angled his body to become a human barrier between Thor and Demi. Thor registered the other six teenagers scramble to attention at various points around the room, but he didn't care at the moment.

"Is that why you did not wish to speak to me about what was done to you by your husband?" Thor asked, trying and failing to keep his voice soft. "Because your husband… is my _bror_?"

Demi took a deep breath before nodding at him over Ryan's shoulder.

"And he is dead now?" Thor asked thickly.

Another nod from Demi caused Thor to cast his gaze out at the New York City skyline, away from the people in the room.

Andy spoke up then, saying, "Only on orders from Fury."

"And even if there had been no orders," Demi said ever so softly. "I cannot even begin to make myself believe that his murder was unjust. He deserved death a thousand times over and worse for all of his crimes, because there were many more than those done just to me. You must recall that he was the king of the Nine Realms, and not always a just one. While the people of Midgard with the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. do well to protect themselves without otherworldly help, not all other planets are that way, and many of those places have suffered. Truth be told, he got what he deserved." She paused before asking hesitantly, "Do you hate me for saying that?"

"No," Thor answered instantly, reigning in his grief as it hit him that she was right and meeting her gaze again. "I know that I don't know you yet, but I don't think it's possible for me to hate you. You're my daughter, I'm your father – I want to try my best to be a decent one – and I find that I somehow love you already."

Demi smiled shyly and stepped around Ryan, shocking Thor again when she gave her father a hesitant hug and whispered, "_Takk… Jeg elsker deg ogsa_."

Thor simply smiled, stooping over and giving her a gentle kiss on the top her head.


	7. Chapter 7

"I know you guys already think I'm horribly un-cool," Mrs. Stark said to the teenagers once everything in the room had settled down. "But you guys look exhausted, and it is late."

Ryan had no problem with taking orders, and quite frankly he agreed with Mrs. Stark. He was exhausted. Funny how hiding out on the seventh floor all day trying to stay away from Pepper and the Avengers could wear him out when in his pre-ice state he had been used to rigorous days of endless training with his mother.

"Actually, we do need to be holing up to ourselves," Andy said to the JID kids as a group.

Hayne looked up over the edge of the book he had been reading, asking, "Why?"

Andy cocked his head to the side, glaring wordlessly at the other boy to show his displeasure at being questioned in front of the adults.

Scarlet sighed testily, getting to her feet and pulling Hayne to his as she said, "Because he's large and in charge and he says so, same as always."

"Hey," Dakota spoke up, letting her tone take on an edge of rebuke.

"Are we a team?" Ryan asked, looking sharply between Andy and Hayne. "We know how to deal with stress, so let's not lose that ability now, okay? You want to keep our united front?"

"_Jawohl_," Andy drawled.

Ryan took in a calming breath before saying, "Then let's act like it."

"Yes, mother," Andy replied sarcastically, ignoring the fact that Blaine, Scarlet, Eif, and the twins were already filing into the elevator without the rest of them.

"Okay," Dakota snapped, laying her hands on her brother's shoulders to guide him towards the elevator. "That's it; it's bedtime for you, Mr. Stark."

"I don't need a Miss Potts right now," Andy objected.

"I beg to differ," Dakota replied as Ryan followed them mutely into the elevator.

"Was all that really necessary?" Hazel asked the moment the elevator started to move upwards with them inside.

Hayne bit his lip, apologizing, "Sorry."

"Me too," Ryan added, although he wasn't sure it was necessary.

"Same here. Do you still love me?" Andy asked of his girlfriend, pulling her close to him.

"Yes, against all my better judgment," she answered with a smile and chaste kiss to his lips.

"Really, though," Ryan asked Andy as the kids poured out of the elevator. "What did you want us up here for?"

"How much of our crap got spilled to the Avengers today?" Andy asked, guiding the group into his bedroom. "Because it seemed to me like you, my dear Demi, did in fact take up with Barton at some point today."

"I am not your dear anything, and he found me, if you must know, and, yes, we did talk about my life with Loki. Why?"

"I just think we need to know what pages they're on with how much they know about us until we know whether or not they're trustworthy," Andy answered, making a horrible attempt at appeasing her. "I know that after breakfast, you were the only one not holed up here all day, so I was curious. Speaking of breakfast," he turned to Dakota. "What happened that the Avengers showed up for it?"

"Pepper asked me if it was okay for them to eat with us," Dakota answered.

Andy's eyebrows rose along with everyone else's as he verified, "Mrs. Stark was here before we were awake? With you alone?"

"For a little while," Dakota said, flushing painfully.

"What's wrong, Koty?" Blaine asked, laying a hand on her arm.

She flinched away from her boyfriend's touch, and Ryan frowned, mentally guessing what was going on.

Blaine did too, murmuring only, "Oh," as he withdrew the physical contact.

"I kind of had a meltdown," Dakota confessed, sighing deeply before she added, "And then Agents Barton and Romanoff came in." She snorted. "The former actually has some very good points on how to deal with my…" she took a deep breath before finishing, "Arrow issues."

"What is he?" Andy asked, "Our new self-appointed shrink?"

"No," Dakota said. "I don't think so."

"He just wants to help," Eif said. "I think they all do."

"Maybe it's just that he's as broken as they are," Hayne suggested. "No offense, you two."

Dakota rolled her eyes, saying frankly, "Truth hurts… but what happened this morning really helped. I think… I think I'm going to be okay… and okay with being here."

They'd all seen the change in Dakota since that day when Blaine had been sent to kill her, but until now, until she had actually addressed it and apparently healed from it, those changes had been something subtle. It seemed that being here with the Avengers was going to start bringing up those things that the teenagers had fought long and hard within themselves to keep buried. Ryan didn't know if he was ready for that, and his stomach was churning with the thought of it when he went to bed.

* * *

"Knock, knock."

Ryan heard someone coming, but he jumped anyway when the voice that floated in from his bedroom doorway was that of his least favorite person in this tower, his father, Steve Rogers.

"Can I come in?" the captain asked softly.

Ryan shrugged, not looking up from the work he was doing at the desk in his room.

"Whatcha up to?" Steve asked curiously, looking over his shoulder at the computer screen. "What is that, school work?"

Ryan nodded. "It's something to do."

"Not that I'm not fully in favor of you doing your homework, but there's plenty of things to do in the tower. Tony has more toys here than anyone ought to be allowed to."

"No, thanks," Ryan replied, still not looking at Captain America.

"Then let's talk," Steve said, sitting on the edge of Ryan's bed and turning his son's chair so that they were facing one another. "You promised that you would explain to me how you got here… and how you still look to be only, what, sixteen?"

"Seventeen," Ryan corrected with a sigh.

"I would really like to know how that happened." Steve's eyebrows drew together as he said, "You mentioned being in the ice beside me?"

"It's a really long story, sir," Ryan said, dreading telling Steve how the love of his life had gone a little crazy after the super soldier's disappearance.

"I've got all the time in the world for you, Ryan," Steve said carefully.

Ryan sighed again, and just like that the story of life with Lieutenant Margaret Carter began to pour out of him. He was quick to discover that his father was a surprisingly good listener, and it was relieving to tell someone what he had been through, both before and after being in the ice. Though neither one of them would've even dreamed of admitting it, both father and son had tears in their eyes by the time Ryan was finished with his story. It was healing for Ryan, and there may have even been a hug exchanged between father and son… just so long as they weren't asked about it.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Andy?"

The seventeen year old in question looked up from the videogame on his computer and locked eyes with Hayne, asking, "Yeah?"

Hayne gestured to Hazel and Dakota standing behind him as he answered, "We're getting a little stir crazy, so we've decided to take a look around the lab. Do you want to come with us?"

Andy mulled this over momentarily before getting to his feet, deciding, "Okay; why not?"

Because he was a lab rat himself, and wouldn't Tony Stark just love to get his hands all over the tech that was inside of Andy's body? That was why not, but Andy didn't say so; he just followed the others quietly down to Tony's "candy land."

Despite his misgivings, Andy's eyes glittered when he saw the lab in all of its glory. He tapped on the glass to get the attention of Tony or Dr. Banner, both of whom were working obliviously side by side on a project. The doctor's head snapped up and he opened the door for the quartet waiting outside the glass door.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come visit us," Tony said, glancing at them as he worked for a moment longer before setting down his tools. "What do you think of my palace?" he asked, gesturing grandly at their surroundings.

"It's awesome," Andy breathed.

"I know, right?" Tony grinned. "You guys knock yourself out; if you break anything, I've got the money to replace it."

"Chances are they could fix it themselves," Hazel muttered under her breath, not unkindly.

Andy answered, ''Your faith in me is flattering, hot-"

Dakota pointedly cleared her throat, mouthing, "_doctora_."

Dr. Banner, Hazel's dad, was in this room. Right. Andy closed his mouth abruptly and turned away from his girlfriend, going instead to admire Tony's suits.

"You like those, do you?" Tony asked, moseying over to stand by him, nearly shoulder to shoulder as they surveyed the line of suits. "I'm rather proud of them myself."

"I heard Pepper refer to them as your babies," Andy remarked.

Tony's eyes flickered as he said, "Only because I never was able to hold the baby I wanted to."

"You made that decision yourself."

Tony nodded, deciding to let that one pass before he asked by way of changing the subject. "So, what do you know about these puppies?"

"Enough, I guess. When I tried to build one when I was eleven, it was too much for me, so I concentrated on recreating Jarvis for the next year and just tinkered with random things until I was thirteen. Then my attention got turned to my-" Andy's heart almost skipped a beat as he realized what he had nearly revealed before he lied, "Serums for Hazel and Hayne."

Tony looked shrewdly at him out of the corner of his eye and Andy realized that he was still busted.

A moment passed in which Andy prayed that Tony wouldn't call him out on it and then the billionaire turned slightly to him, saying, "Okay, look, I get it; you're ticked, and you have every right to be. We – I – should've checked up every once in a while on what was going on with JID, and I didn't. The thing with me is though, in working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Obadiah Stein, I have learned to really, really hate liars. So here's the deal: you can tell me things as slowly as you want to – just don't stop midsentence to lie to me, like you did just now, okay?"

Andy ran his tongue along his teeth and didn't answer, glaring at the suits instead.

Tony ignored his silence, or else took it as an agreement, and asked, "So what did you really start working on when you were thirteen?"

"A different kind of suit," Andy replied stiffly.

"Oh, is that all? Like which one?" Tony asked casually, nodding towards the different models that lined the wall.

"None of the above."

Now Tony turned to face him full on, his attention totally grabbed. "Really? Like it was still too far behind these technologically?"

"Can you stop now please?" Andy asked raggedly, desperately wanting to engage his suit to get him out of this conversation as quickly as possible.

"Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed;" Tony said, totally mistaking his son's flustered expression. "If you show me your blueprints, we could work the bugs out and upgrade it together… like a cool father-son project or something."

"Ah, no," Andy said sharply, taking a quick step away from Tony. "I really, really don't need you to make a science project out of my suit."

His suit which had, just now – crap, crap, _crap _– had a slight malfunction and been engaged by his _sub_conscious instead of his conscious mind. It was the main problem that he occasionally had with his internal armor, and at JID it was no problem at all, seeing as the shift to his physical body upon the suit's engagement was minimal, and the other teens were used to seeing it anyway. Having it happen when he was this close to Tony Stark, though? Now that was a problem – because Tony had noticed him shift when the suit came on.

And Hayne and Hazel had noticed that Tony had noticed, and that Andy was stressed out because of it. Great; now _they _were getting twitchy.

"Dakota," Hayne said in a very measured voice. "Go get Blaine."

"We don't need Blaine," Andy declared, desperately hoping to keep things calmed down. "I'm fine; you're both fine; we're all fine here."

"What happened to you?" Tony asked, taking in the slight bulkiness that had appeared under Andy's skin.

"Nothing," Andy snapped, instantly shutting the suit back down and going to the twins. "I swear to you, I am fine, and Stark is stupid, so he won't figure it out."

"I am not stupid!" Tony objected, coming up to the trio of teenagers. "And that trick that you just did… is that the suit you meant?"

"Get Blaine!" Hayne howled. "They're going to make a laboratory experiment out of him, Dakota!"

Jarvis, however, had apparently carried out the order to get Blaine the first time it had been given, because suddenly both of Hawkeye and Black Widow's children were skidding to a stop just outside the lab entrance. When Scarlet registered the password box, she took out her trusty handgun and shot the glass instead and that was the last stressor Hazel needed before she hulked out. Hayne fell to his knees, breathing deeply as he tried to keep his own inner "friend" in check, and without a second thought, Blaine loaded a tranquilizer into a specialized arrow and shot it, embedding it with a practiced aim into Hayne's neck.

Well that had escalated quickly… and then it got even worse when Andy heard – at the same time as everyone else – a strangely familiar rasping coming from a corner of the lab… kind of like Hayne when he was trying not to-

"Hulk!" Dakota screamed.


	9. Chapter 9

Again, Blaine acted on second nature and shot Dr. Banner – who hadn't yet given over to his other side – the way he had done Hayne many times. It didn't reduce the doctor to the crumpled ball on the floor that Hayne had momentarily become, but it stunned him, and he slid onto his back on the floor.

Scarlet scrambled over to the grown man and fell to her knees by his head, hurrying to explain, "It's just a sedative, doctor. Bruce, it'll just slow your heart rate back down, but it's not strong enough for you; I need you to help it. Bruce, just look at me and calm down, okay? Breathe with me. We're all safe; no one's hurt; Blaine was just helping them, I promise, but I need you to stay calm. Just breathe. Breathe with me…"

Scarlet's voice faded out and her posture relaxed noticeably as Dr. Banner regained complete control of his body and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths while he just laid on the lab floor for a second longer, regaining his composure.

"What the heck just happened?" Tony asked loudly.

"A sedative," Dr. Banner muttered. "That's stupidly simple! Why did I not think of it?"

"Two reasons:" Hayne said groggily, picking himself up off the floor as he regained consciousness. "One: it's just another one-time fixer, not a cure, which is what you look for. Two: It requires having someone else there to administer it to you, and for the longest time, you never had anyone willing to do that; I do." He turned to Blaine, muttering, "Thanks, by the way."

Blaine nodded with a flat, "Any time."

"What did I just see?" Tony asked.

"Blaine preventing major property damage," Scarlet said, slowly getting to her feet.

"That I get," Tony said with a nod. "What I don't get is why you think we," he turned to Hayne, saying, "Presumably your father and I – are going to make a lab experiment out of somebody."

Andy took a deep breath and ordered Hayne, "Get your sister out of here before she tries ripping somebody's head off." And then to Hazel, "Calm down, beautiful, I won't get hurt. Go on now; I'll be up later."

Hazel, who Andy noticed had taken cover underneath a desk when she hulked out, reappeared slowly, and in her normal form.

"Come on," Hayne murmured, grabbing her arm and leading her out of the lab.

They were quickly followed by Scarlet and Blaine, although Dakota obviously had no thoughts of leaving her brother to the two scientists. Instead, she just settled onto a bar stool and listened in on the conversation.

"A suit?" Tony asked Andy again.

"A S.H.I.E.L.D. experiment," Andy said begrudgingly. "It's controlled neurologically… it's basically a layer of skin that they inserted into my body… and before you ask, no, I can't get it out for you to examine. Believe me, I tried – to get rid of it, I mean." He just shrugged. "I'm just stuck this way… and it's not- it's next to perfectly controllable, but it-" He shook his head and sighed. "I know it does protect me, and I'm next to indestructible because of it, but it sucks anyway."

Tony looked behind Andy to Dr. Banner, saying only, "Huh."

"'Huh'?" Andy repeated in surprise, watching as the billionaire went back to working on the project he had been concentrating on when they came into the lab.

"Yeah, 'huh.' It just… sounds kinda familiar, between my arc reactor and," Tony waved dismissively towards the doctor, saying, "The big guy. Can't live with 'em; wouldn't be alive without 'em. So here's another deal for you, kiddo. No cages, no laboratory experiments – unless you want them – and we'll even withhold questions until you're ready to talk about it. For now we can definitely do with just accepting you as being another freak in a house that was already full of freaks. Sound good?"

"Really good," Andy said warily, not quite trusting it as he looked between the two scientists.

"But you say you've tried to end it and you can't?"

"Right," Andy nodded, joining his father at the table.

"Hand me that vial, will you?" Andy complied and Tony continued working while he spoke, "Well, I spent most of yesterday looking at everything that you've accomplished scientifically and you remind me of myself at your age. Oh, and I was all over those notes on your internal suit too."

Andy blinked in surprise at him, not feeling half so violated as he had thought he would. "So you already knew about the suit?"

"Since yesterday, yeah. Grab that thermometer for me?"

Andy handed him the tool, asking, "How? S.H.I.E.L.D. can't even crack into my notes!"

"Have they even tried to? Because you've made it all look pretty inconspicuous from the outside."

"No," Andy admitted.

"I thought not. What's that screen there show the temperature is?"

"112 Fahrenheit."

"D***; the resistance is still too low. Smart boy, by the way, encrypting everything like you did – took me a whole hour to find the intel I wanted. But, really, if you're going to steal and use _my_ encryption tech, ya' gotta expect _me_ to be able to get through it. I say that becaaaaaause chances are – from what I've seen of your impressively extensive research – you, my friend, are not getting out of that suit anytime soon."

Andy sighed, muttering, "Yeah, I know."

Tony muttered something else under his breath that Pepper probably wouldn't have appreciated him saying in front of his kids and Andy asked curiously, "What are you doing?"

"I am _trying _to develop a coating to put on our uniforms that will make them more heat and fire resistant, and apparently it is back to the drawing board with it. I get that you don't trust me, and I don't blame you in the least bit for that – but I want you to know that neither the green giant nor I am going to turn you into a lab rat. We've spent too much time being caged in ourselves to do that to someone else, okay?"

Andy mulled that over for a minute while father and son worked together in silence before he said so softly that only Tony could hear – trusting an adult for the first time since he could remember – "Okay."

Tony nodded, looking pleaded but asking only, "Grab that blowtorch for me?"

"Actually," Dakota spoke up rapidly from where she had been sitting in silence at Dr. Banner's station, tapping on a screen and moved to grab Andy's arm. "I think it's most definitely time for lunch. Are you coming, Dad? Dr. Banner?"

Both Tony and Dr. Banner shook their heads, and Dakota dragged Andy towards the exit, muttering that Pepper had warned her about Tony and blowtorches being in the same vicinity.

"Aw!" Tony whined. "You can't take my assistant!"

"Watch me," Dakota called back cheerfully.

Andy glanced over his shoulder, promising, "I'll be back after lunch, Pops."

"'Pops'?" Dakota repeated quietly with raised eyebrows.

"'Dad'?" Andy shot back.

As the lab doors closed behind them, Andy heard Dr. Banner say in awe, "Tony, your fourteen year old just sat here and corrected my math on the coating equations! See, here's the problem; come look."

Andy and Dakota both cracked up as they walked up the steps arm in arm. It was like the adults were surprised to find that the two of them had Stark's genes. But that was okay. The truth was starting to come out a little at a time, and Andy was okay with that too. Truth was… he might just be okay with this whole thing. And maybe – at least in time – with himself and this new family he was gaining.

Then his rare moment of reflection was brought to a rude end by a shrill scream.


	10. Chapter 10

When Hayne emerged with Scarlet, Blaine, and Hazel from Mr. Stark's lab, he was startled to see the others of JID and the Avengers gathered in a semicircle around the stairwell, weapons at the ready.

"What the heck?" he yelped, feeling his heart rate skyrocket.

"Really?" Blaine asked dryly, his gaze sweeping those gathered. "Get that stuff out of our faces!"

"Didn't somebody yell 'Hulk'?" Hawkeye asked carefully.

"Yes," Blaine said, completely unimpressed as he batter his father's bow and arrow out of his face. "And I took care of it, so we're good now. So _stand down_."

Knowing what Blaine meant, Ryan and Eif were quick to obey, and the Avengers soon followed suit. As the group drifted away into various parts of the house, Hayne put his palms on his knees, breathing deeply to keep his heart rate down.

Frack. He _did not _need this twice in one day!

Scarlet hovered behind him, putting a careful hand on his shoulder. "Hayne?"

It wasn't working! He'd come too close to hulking out down there in the lab, and then he'd come up to find Thor's hammer whirling near his head, and now…

He tried to rasp Blaine's name, but it wouldn't come. Growing desperate, he dug in his pockets for the emergency vial of tranquilizer that he had on him – normally. But, of course, with everything being thrown on its ear, he had forgotten to put one in his jeans' pocket this morning. He could only grunt as he shoved Scarlet away and ran for the stairwell, not daring to take the elevator, just hoping he could make it to the solitude of his room and that vial that would keep anything from happening.

He made it onto the second flights of stairs before he fell to his knees, practically dragging himself forward through another three flights before he collapsed. Still fighting a losing battle against the other guy's emergence, Hayne cried out as he slid down the steps that he had managed to climb of that fifth flight, landing in a rough, gasping heap on the landing between flights.

He thought he might've heard breathing that was not his own, but he tried to pay it no mind, tried to concentrate entirely upon keeping himself under control. Or at least on regaining control, backtracking from this horrible halfway point between the monster and the man. And after a few long, painful minutes curled up there on the out-of-the-way landing, he thought that maybe it was working. He might just manage to fight the other guy off on his own this time.

Apparently, the person who was a landing below him, watching him carefully, thought that it was even safe to approach, because she moved toward him, asking softly, "Hayne?"

Scarlet? Scarlet! She had followed him – stupid!

He moaned in agony as the familiar pain of the "other guy" demanding time at the fore ripped through him, then he growled and halfway sat up, ripping a bar off of the stair railing and throwing it towards her as a warning. _Go away, Scar! Please! I don't want to hurt you!_

But it was too late; with her emergence having startled him, he was too far gone. The monster that was inside of him took over, and his girlfriend was the nearest thing in sight.

* * *

Hayne came to himself suddenly, like someone emerging from a deep sleep by having a bucket of ice water dumped on them. Forgetful, animalistic blackness faded away to morph into equally brutal, humiliating reality, and he fell back onto the floor with a groan. He didn't recognize the room he was in, but that might just be because it was in an unrecognizable state anyway, judging by the condition of what he could see beyond the numerous people who were gathered around him. Dr. Banner and six of the JID kids, to be specific.

"Hayne? Are you okay, son?"

Hayne rolled his eyes and irritably ripped out of his neck the familiar needle that meant an administration of tranquilizer. "I'm fine."

"Here," Hazel said, handing him a stack of much-needed clothing.

He took them with a muttered "thanks" and disappeared behind the nearest closeable door to dress and try to gather together his scattered memories of what he – the other guy – had done.

He had made it all the way up four flights of stairs before losing it which meant – according to Andy's blueprints of this place – his rampage had started on Dr. Banner's level of the tower. That was probably a good thing, seeing as the doctor would most likely be the least surprised by any damage Hayne – the other guy – had done.

He had almost been back under control when something had kick started his "friend" again. What had it been?

_Scarlet_!

Hayne had only dressed from below the waist, but something as fickle as a shirt didn't matter in the least bit as a scattered memory floated in his mind of that horrible scream in the millisecond before he forgot everything following it – _her_ scream that _he_ had caused. And God knew if he had done anything else to her… Hayne ripped out of the room and in the direction he thought the stairwell might be in, somehow keeping control of his heart rate in the midst of panic so bad it nearly stole his ability to breathe.

"Hayne?" Ryan asked in concern as Hayne flew by, standing to his feet from where Hayne's entourage had apparently decided to wait for him.

Breathing raggedly, Hayne took a second when he reached the destroyed stairwell to stand still and regulate his breathing as his gaze darted desperately around the rubble. Was she even still here? Maybe she had run before he could hurt her. Please, please, let that be what had happened!

"Hayne!" Hazel gasped, skidding to a stop beside him, as green as she got and – lucky her – not caring a bit while the others gathered around them as well. "What the-"

"Where's Scarlet?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Hazel said in confusion. "I thought she just opted to stay out of your way once she realized what was going on."

The color drained from Blaine's face as he asked Hayne, "Why?"

"Because she followed me," Hayne choked out beyond his growing panic. "She didn't go get you like she's supposed to, she followed me instead, and then this happened!"


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm calling her cellphone," Andy said calmly, but there was no phone in his hands, which meant that he had engaged his suit, and that meant that he thought they were headed into trouble. A minute passed in utter silence before Andy admitted, "She's not picking up – it's not even ringing; it's broken."

"So it's here," Dakota supplied, looking around the rubble.

"Jarvis, are you there?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, Dr. Banner."

"Tell the Avengers to assemble at the stairwell on my level immediately. It's an emergency."

But those who were already there weren't waiting for anyone to assemble before they started shifting through the rubble.

Hazel made good use of the form of her "friend" and Andy his suit, but it was Eif who soon cried out, before the rest of the Avengers even joined them, "She's here!"

Hayne scrambled over to Eif, losing his breath when he caught sight of Scarlet's dust-covered, too-pale face beneath her dark red hair. He choked out his girlfriend's name and knelt at her side, moving her head into his lap with shaking hands.

Eif ordered delicately, "Don't move her if you can help it until we know how badly she's hurt."

The five previously-absent Avengers and Pepper flooded into the room then, slowly approaching where the others had obviously gathered around Scarlet.

Natasha gasped and swore viciously as she saw her daughter underneath the remains of the stairwell, her head and chest the only thing that was left uncovered. "What happened?"

Before Hayne could form an answer, Hazel lied, "She was in the wrong place when the stairs collapsed – tried coming up here this way to stop him, but didn't know this was where he had started, hence that it was the weakest place in the house since it sustained the most damage. It just collapsed."

Nobody but his twin sister would guess the real truth that was hidden behind his shaky gestures and teary eyes, Hayne realized with a stab of gratefulness towards her. Then he felt Dr. Banner's eyes flicker to him and knew that he stood corrected. The doctor knew too, but was too busy concentrating on Scarlet to say anything about the lie.

"Is she okay?" Natasha asked, a barely-there thread of fear in her voice.

"I don't know," Dr. Banner answered. "We've got to get more of the debris off of her before I can tell anything for sure."

Hayne remained where he was with Scarlet's head in his lap, murmuring quietly to her and gently brushing the hair out of her face, trying to put a stop to the idea that it was fairly obvious that the wreckage hadn't been what had caused the one huge bruise that were coloring her beautiful face. Thankfully, the others hadn't looked closely enough at her to notice that gut-wrenching fact. Although they moved slowly and carefully by necessity, many hands made light work, and the others soon had Scarlet completely uncovered.

Hayne's gaze frantically scanned his girlfriend's body and a sob almost escaped him when he noticed the agonizing angle her leg rested in, "Dad, her leg!"

"Do we need to call an ambulance or something?" Ryan asked.

"No," Pepper shook her head. "I already called Maria. She's on her way now. We'll transport Scarlet to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s infirmary for an official examination, and then we'll have to go from there."

"What do we do until she gets here?" Blaine asked shakily.

_Blaine_ was shaken, Hayne realized. Man, he had screwed up big time.

"Nothing," Dr. Banner said. "There's nothing we can do, and you guys really don't have a reason to be here right now. Why don't the rest of you go downstairs and wait for Agent Hill?" Hayne stiffened as his father added, "Hayne and I can stay here with Scarlet."

Scarlet's parents started to resist, but Dr. Banner shot them a _look_, their eyes flickered with the realization that he had a purpose for their absence, and they disappeared with the others. Once father and son were alone with the unconscious fifteen year old, silence reigned heavily for a minute before Hayne broke it with a sudden sob.

"I did this to her!"

"No, you didn't," his father answered softly.

"That _thing _did, and he's me!" Hayne choked out.

"Hayne, it's a broken leg, just a broken leg, I swear – and it's not even that bad of a break."

"And she's unconscious!"

"Mercifully so."

"And what about the bruise, Dad?" Hayne howled. "Look at it! Her whole face is one big bruise; one big, _Hulk-hand-shaped_ bruise! Are you going to tell me I didn't do that either?"

"Your other guy did," his father compromised. Hayne wiped at his eyes, trying to pull himself back together as Bruce asked gently, "How long since you've had an episode like this?"

Hayne shook his head, thinking back before he answered in a hoarse voice, "Years. The tranquilizer was developed when I was six. Maria would administer it when needed, and when she left, Scarlet tried for a little while, but she couldn't handle the idea of shooting me, so Andy made Blaine arrows that could hold the tranq, and that's how it's been ever since. Most of the time I even keep a vial of it in my back pocket, just to be safe. Things have just been so different since we went and got Demi from Asgard that we've been forgetting the simplest habits and protocols – I forget my tranq dose and Scar forgot to get Blaine… and then this happened."

"It's not your fault," Bruce said evenly. He sighed, offering, "As a matter of fact, if you want to blame anyone, you can blame me; it's my gene that gave you an 'other guy' in the first place."

"Oh, believe me," Hayne said dryly. "I do blame you – and Dr. Ross… but mostly you."

"I guess that means you can admit that this isn't your fault, then?"

"Yeah," Hayne said slowly. "I guess I can."

And for some reason, that made father and son smile at one another, even in the midst of Hulk-caused destruction. Because they both knew that even in the middle of that destruction, the "other guys" always eventually went back into their cages and things went back to normal. They both knew these things; they both _understood one another_, and that, Hayne realized, was all that he needed.

He would never really be "okay;" he would never be "normal," but at least now there was someone by whom he could really, truly be _understood_… and that was more healing than he could've ever imagined.


	12. Chapter 12

Scarlet blinked in confusion and winced when she was momentarily blinded by harsh lighting… infirmary lighting, if she didn't miss her guess.

"Hey, there," Maria whispered, leaning over her bed. "How do you feel?"

"Tired… and my leg's heavy," Scarlet murmured, clearing her throat when she realized how slurred she sounded.

"That would be thanks to anesthesia and a cast, respectively."

Scarlet let her eyes drift closed again and groaned, "Craaaaap," and then, "How bad?"

"A broken leg, a mild concussion, and some nasty bruises."

"I meant Hayne."

"What?" Maria asked in confusion.

"How's Hayne doing after… everything?"

Maria paused then, and Scarlet thought that her answer wasn't going to be a good one before the agent answered, "I actually think he's doing okay. He and Dr. Banner were talking when I got to the tower and once you were back in surgery, they went out to the parking lot and continued their conversation. They're getting some things mentally and emotionally squared away, I think, for Hayne and between one another. Last time I checked they were still out there."

"But now we're here," Dr. Banner said cheerfully as he stepped into the room behind his son.

Scarlet smiled tiredly at them, working quickly to wake her brain and get it back into gear. "Hey, you," she said to Hayne.

He smiled warily, and she beckoned him closer with a wave of her hand and a concerned flash of her eyes. He took her hand and she purposely did not flinch, gesturing that he should sit on the bed beside her.

When he obeyed, she looked bluntly into his eyes, saying, "I am fine."

Hayne flushed, looking away guiltily as he muttered, "But you're broken."

"No," she objected. "My leg is broken; I am fine," she paused to catch his eye again as she asked, pointed but tender, "Are you?"

Hayne laughed bitterly and then sighed, eventually saying, "So long as you're okay, and you don't hate me, than I will be, yes."

"Of course I don't hate you," Scarlet answered, as if that were the stupidest idea she'd ever heard.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked in a voice so soft that Scarlet almost didn't catch the question.

"No!" The next part should've never come out of her mouth – she was sworn to secrecy – but it slipped out anyway, thank you very much, anesthesia. "Believe me, I've been hurt a lot worse than this."

"Do what?" Maria asked, a look of confusion taking over her face. "What do you mean?"

Scarlet's eyes blew wide and she panicked, saying too sharply, too quickly, "Nothing! It's nothing!"

Three sets of eyes narrowed upon her, and Hayne asked, "What if I asked Andy? Would he say the same thing?"

"He doesn't know anything about it," Scarlet answered without thinking, and then tacked on, "Because there's nothing to know about."

Hayne didn't move – his eyes didn't even dart away from her face for a second – when he said, "Dad, do me a favor. Can you get the others? Everybody?"

"No!" Scarlet screamed instantly.

"If you're not going to say what you were talking about, that means it's something important, and _that_ means that someone has to know something about it."

"No one knows," Scarlet repeated, her tone softened by painful resignation.

"No one knows what?"

"Nothing."

Hayne sighed, Scarlet bit back the inclination to beg him to allow her to stay silent on the subject, and neither one of them said a word until awhile later when more people came back into the room. Not everyone, though, just Blaine, Dakota, Clint, Natasha, and Andy, the last of whom had a laptop under his arm.

"Where are the others?" Hayne asked.

"I asked them to stay away for awhile," Andy answered gravely. "Dr. Banner told us what you'd said, so I dug a little deeper than I usually do technologically, and I think I found what you're talking about, Scar." There was genuine hurt for her on his face as the seventeen year old asked, "Why didn't you say anything about the missions?"

"'Missions'?" everyone but Andy and Scarlet repeated.

"What 'missions'?" Hayne asked, his grip on her hand tightening.

"Assassination?" Blaine guessed.

"Yes and no," Andy answered before turning to Natasha and asking, "Does the name Roger Jamison mean anything to you, Agent Romanoff?"

Scarlet flinched as her mother shook her head in confusion.

"Jeremy Colbert?"

"No."

"Bennett Ramsey? Anwar Rasheem? Jacob Huntington?"

"No… wait. I've heard those names before, though, I think. Most of them, actually."

Andy nodded. "Not surprising; they're on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hit list – or at least they were. They were men very much like the type you're sometimes tasked with getting intel from and then killing… except for these five are pedophiles."

"I'm sorry?" Hayne said with ragged incredulity, nearly crushing Scarlet's hand in his own while Natasha paled and her husband and son cursed a blue streak.

"You mean to tell me that Fury's been using a fifteen year old girl to seduce and then murder people?" Maria asked, sounding concerned for Scarlet, but not the least bit surprised by Fury.

"Yep," Andy answered. "I've got the proof on this laptop right now. You remember that time when she broke her leg before?"

"When she was twelve?" Maria said.

"Right. That happened while she was dealing with dear Mr. Ramsey. One of the man's bodyguards nearly shot her while she was leaving the area afterwards; she tripped and broke her leg. Thankfully, because of the bodyguards, Fury had sent Agent Barnes along to keep watch over the situation, and they were able to get out."

The room was dead silent for a second in which Scarlet absolutely could not look at anyone before she asked, ever so quietly, "Do you hate me?"

They all rushed to assure her that, no, they did not hate her, and Hayne caught her gaze much the same way she had his just a few minutes ago, saying, "You did what we all did. You did whatever Fury told you to do so you could stay in his good graces. I know that, I understand that, and so does everyone else in this room. You will never be called on to do that ever again if you don't want to, and if you don't want it to, this conversation never leaves this room."

"Please," Scarlet said instantly.

"Done," Hayne said with a quick nod. "But just know… sometimes the things we go through are like my 'other guy' or… or broken legs. Sometimes, once it happens, it needs to be broken out a second time to heal properly, even if it might hurt in the process. Scarlet, if you ever want to talk about any of this, I will listen. I will stay calm, and I will not judge you because it isn't your fault. Do you understand that?"

Scarlet nodded solemnly, then teased him, saying, "I would heal better if you'd hold me."

And he surprised her when he shifted so that he was lying down on his side beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Get better soon, my sweet Scar," he murmured against her hair.

And Scarlet was truly surprised at how much better she felt now that someone knew about those five awful missions she had been sent on and had reassured her that not only would she never be put in that situation again, but that they loved her still, even after they knew about it.

"I'm better already as long as you're here," she replied softly, giving him a kiss and adding; "Now we can heal together."


	13. Chapter 13

Blaine went limp against his mattress, huffing angrily at the "12:17am" that was glaring accusingly at him from his alarm clock. The last three days had been absolute torture, and he wanted nothing more than to sink into the blissful oblivion of sleep, but his body would not oblige him since his brain was utterly refusing to slow down for even a second. He groaned again and threw an arm restlessly over his eyes, debating for a second whether or not he ought to just go to the roof – his father's archery range – and shoot until he was dead on his feet. Eventually, he flung off his blankets and moved to his feet, grabbing his bow-in-a-box and shoving it in his back pocket before he made his way silently to the roof.

He emerged into the night that was half-lit by the lights of New York City even at this height, and had shot off a half a quiver when he heard someone open and close the door as they joined him in his sanctuary. He glanced over his shoulder, caught sight of familiar red hair, and turned his attention back towards the target.

Dakota let him shoot off another arrow before she took a step towards him, murmuring, "Hey you."

Blaine did a one-eighty to face her, momentarily taking in the concern in her blue eyes and the way she had her arms crossed over her chest to ward off the chill that he hadn't even noticed.

His tone was sharp as he asked, "What?"

Gravel crunched underneath her feet as she moved until she was close enough to rest her hand on his arm, saying, "None of this is your fault."

He scoffed. "What part of it isn't? The part where I wasn't there to protect my little sister or the part where you've started having nightmares about almost being killed… or maybe the part where I killed the king of the gods?"

"All of the above. _None of this is your fault_, Blaine. Someone needed to stop Loki, and you just so happened to be the guy tasked with doing it. Scarlet's coming home from the hospital tomorrow; she's fine, and I – look at me, Blaine – I am right here, still breathing, still living, still… loving you. You hear me?"

"I hear you," he said. He heard it; he just didn't understand it.

"You are Eif's _hero_ – and quite possibly your dad's too. Scarlet… Blaine, you know Scarlet better than I ever will; she's impulsive and independent and brave to a fault. With you and Hayne, she's just as loyal as she is brave. She would've gone after him with or without you, and by the time you could've gotten to him, he was already too far gone, he told you that himself."

"And what about those missions she's been on, Dakota?" he asked painfully, sinking onto a nearby outdoor lounge chair. "Looking back, I can tell you exactly when they were. She would show up one morning after one of her 'overnight training exercises' with Barnes – there was five of those, you know – with bruises that she wanted us to brush off and that dead look in her eyes. I always thought she was just tired, but… she had killed someone that night, and they'd done God knows what to her beforehand. How did I not at least _suspect _something, Dakota?! After they gave Andy his suit, we all knew what Fury was capable of putting us through, and I knew even before that when Hazel was electrocuted. What sort of a brother, a partner, a protector doesn't see what was actually going on?!"

He ran his hands anxiously through his hair before digging his palms into his eyes; Blaine Barton _did not _cry _ever. _

Dakota settled onto the seat beside him, wrapping an arm around him as she rested her head on his shoulder and voiced the truth that he hated, "You can't protect everyone all the time, Blaine. Contrary to what you may believe, you are human, and you will slip up, and things will slip through the cracks every once in awhile. When that does happen, you can't fall on the floor and stare through those cracks trying to fix what's already out of your grasp. You've got to stay on your feet and keep walking forward; fixing what can still be helped. What happened to Scarlet… or to me… in the past can't be fixed now, but Scarlet herself is still here, and she can be helped. She's going to need her big brother, and it won't help either of you if you're still feeling this way when she gets back here, because we both know that she will notice – and she will kick your butt for it at the earliest opportunity."

Blaine laughed, whispering, "Yeah, she will." Then he turned his head to look at Dakota while his forehead stayed propped up by one palm and asked her earnestly, "Why did you come up here?"

"I thought you might be able to use some company," she said lightly, bumping his shoulder as she asked, "Turns out I was right, huh?"

"Dakota," he repeated solemnly, "Why did you come up here?"

"Well, I am kind of JID's Pepper; it's my job to worry about you guys."

"You've never done this before, Koty."

"I…" She took a deep breath of the night air, looking up at the hazy stars – so fewer than had been in Vermillion – and answered nervously, "I have kissed you, though."

_Oh._

He sighed, asking carefully, "What about it?"

"What are we, Blaine? My mother thinks we're dating, and she said so in front of everybody yesterday, so now they all do, even the rest of JID. But are we?"

Blaine sighed, wanting to tell her that now was not the time to have this discussion.

She seemed to read his mind, continuing, "I know we're both exhausted, but I need to know if whatever is between us is helping you or hurting you, and I need to know what it _is_, and what on earth are we supposed to do about it?"

"You would never hurt me, Dakota," Blaine said, keeping his eyes on his hands where they rested on his knees. "I do know that much… but I don't know that I won't ever hurt you."

"_I _know you won't," she answered. "You've proved that already, and I can know it enough for the both of us, if you need me to."

"Well, then, what do you want us to be?"

"I asked you first."

Blaine shifted, leaning back on his hands to gaze up at the sky while he took time to think through his answer. Dakota was brave in her own right, whether or not she realized it. She was stronger and more mature than any fourteen year old ought to ever be called upon to be. She was JID's sanity, their voice of reason, and their anchor. She was _his _anchor, and he wanted her to be his _period_. She could do it, and he could too, if he'd let himself. So he did. He was done thinking about it, and now he was acting on it.

He leaned towards Dakota and captured her lips in a kiss, a little longer and a lot more emotional than the one they'd shared before he left on the mission.

"I want you to be mine," he whispered.

"Good," she said, her head falling back onto his shoulder. "Because I think I already am."

At that declaration, Blaine realized he felt much, much better, and he wrapped his arms around her, genuinely smiling. He wasn't completely fixed quite yet, but he was getting better, healing… and if nothing else, he and Dakota could just be broken together.


	14. Chapter 14

It was stupid, Hazel thought, the things that would set her off. Like accidently shocking herself when plugging in the toaster, which happened the morning after Hayne's hulk-out. Dakota was mysteriously absent, and Pepper had taken it upon herself to make sure that the JID kids had breakfast. Hazel, hearing less noise than she was used to whenever Dakota made breakfast, had stumbled into the kitchen and offered to help. Not five minutes into her helping, she shocked herself, and her heart rate instantly kicked up irrationally which meant she immediately hulked out.

Pepper turned around just then, promptly yelping and dropping the plastic plate in her hands when she came face to face with a green girl.

"I'm okay!" Hazel rushed to assure her. "It's okay; I'm not dangerous! I'm still me… just stronger… and green. But I'm still in control of myself."

Pepper inhaled deeply as she picked up the plate and placed it on the counter, saying apologetically, "I'm just not used to the idea of a controllable Hulk."

"It does seem like an oxymoron," Hazel allowed. "But it's not exactly… controllable. It's more that when I get like this," she gestured at the pale green skin stretched tight over suddenly-appearing muscles. "I'm still in control of my mind. My 'friend' only comes with a physical change, not a mental one."

"You're a lot quicker to change than your brother, though, aren't you?" Pepper asked, as if unsure how far she should take the conversation while they went back to working on breakfast preparations.

"Yeah, but then that's partially my own fault because – since I'm not out of control when I'm like this – I haven't really worked on trying to control my heart rate… just living around the chance of a Hulk-out instead. It's easier that way."

She didn't necessarily like it any better, but it was easier, and gave her a better quality of life… in most aspects.

"Is that why you dress the way you do?" Pepper asked and then backtracked with, "I'm sorry; that was rude."

"No," Hazel said. "It's alright – and, yes, it is."

Hazel explained that she had long developed the habit of wearing loose-fitting clothing that was about three sizes too big so that in moments like this – when she was hulked out – she could still remain perfectly, decently clothed.

What she didn't say was that though the way she dressed really was a very little thing to have to deal with in the grand scheme of things; she had learned to hate it.

It was easy to hate it when you had Scarlet strutting around with her skintight jeans and Miss Dakota "I Have Everything Under Control At All Times" Stark just oozing maturity and small-town girl prettiness. And now they had Eif, who had looks that were fit for the goddess that she literally was.

Then there was Hazel with her unremarkably straight, dark hair and dark-chocolate colored eyes – a blandly, normal girl in every way but the one that managed to consistently turn her into a green giant. She wasn't even really all that into science like her brother and Andy. Sure, she was good enough at it, but she wasn't brilliant… and in a house full of superheroes and their amazing offspring, not being brilliant kind of sucked.

"Well, that's okay," Pepper said, grabbing the milk from the fridge. "Sounds kind of like me."

"Really?" Hazel asked in surprise. "How so?"

"You wear what you do so that you can still function as you'd like even when you're like this, right? I wear my suits, high heels, and pencil skirts so that I can play my part as the CEO of Stark Industries and get the respect I both desire and deserve within that position – because, let's face it, in the business world, people look first, and if they like what they see, _then_ they listen to what you have to say. It stinks, but it's something I have to live with... even if I do like my 'barefoot in pajamas' days as much as the next girl."

"Yeah…" Hazel said slowly. "But I've had plenty of those. Sometimes I just wish…" she sighed, blushing as she muttered, "I could dress up. Be pretty… _feel _pretty."

"Hazel… you are pretty," Pepper said gently, leaving the milk on the counter and sweeping Hazel's hair back behind her ear.

Pepper's cool hand both flustered and calmed Hazel, and she de-hulked, laughing derisively as she looked at her feet. "If you say so."

"I do," Pepper answered, nodding firmly with a small, bright smile on her face as she tilted Hazel's chin up, studying her features. "Blue."

"What?" Hazel asked, laughing again.

"Blue would look best on you. Turquoise, I think. And what harm would it do to pierce your ears? You could wear studs and then it wouldn't matter what form you were in." Pepper smiled once more and went back to her breakfast preparations, saying casually, "You should talk to your dad about it. I bet he'd take you to get it done."

"Do you think so?" Hazel asked, mulling the idea over for herself.

"Yeah; why not?"

_Why not indeed_, Hazel decided. It was a little thing, getting her ears pierced. Maybe she'd even buy a turquoise shirt or something while they were out.

The more she thought about it, the more getting her ears pierced become something even bigger than that. It was symbolic of something else – something that was far more important. For all the changes that had gone on in the last few days, for all the hardships that both the teenagers and their parents had gone through, they could still be in control of their lives. They could still make decisions for themselves – even if it was a small decision like whether or not they wore jewelry in their ears.

She would have to thank Pepper for giving her the idea once it was all said and done; it was nice of her to care enough to suggest it. Actually, now that she thought back over the time since she had met them, all of the seven adults seemed to care about all eight of the teenagers… and it was kind of nice. It might just be that the teens could get used to that. She kind of hoped so.

Their lives – those of the adults and young adults alike – still weren't perfect, Hazel knew, but neither were they, so that was okay. They were all a little scarred, all a little hardened, all a little broken. But they were on their way to becoming a family; all of them now – the Avengers and the JID kids becoming one big family – and they were healing.

* * *

**There you have it; the fifth story in the Junior Initiative series. Keep your eyes open for the next part, "So They Became." Reviews are my fuel and make my day if you feel like leaving me one. Thanks!:)**


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